Movies like Special Unit (2017)
The best movies like Special Unit (2017) are Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Police Academy (1984) and Starsky & Hutch (2004). If Special Unit hooked you with its comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKingsman: The Secret Service (2015)7.6/10 from 18,376 votes
- NewestBeverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)Released 2024
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024)
Forty years after his unforgettable first case in Beverly Hills, Detroit cop Axel Foley returns to do what he does best: solve crimes and cause chaos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPolice Academy (1984)
New rules enforced by the Lady Mayoress mean that sex, weight, height and intelligence need no longer be a factor for joining the Police Force. This opens the floodgates for all and sundry to enter the Police Academy, much to the chagrin of the instructors. Not everyone is there through choice, though. Social misfit Mahoney has been forced to sign up as the only alternative to a jail sentence and it doesn't take long before he falls foul of the boorish Lieutenant Harris. But before long, Mahoney realises that he is enjoying being a police cadet and decides he wants to stay... while Harris decides he wants Mahoney out!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStarsky & Hutch (2004)
Join uptight David Starsky and laid-back Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson as they're paired for the first time as undercover cops. The new partners must overcome their differences to solve an important case with help from street informant Huggy Bear and persuasive criminal Reese Feldman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisCHiPs (2017)
The adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers as they make their rounds on the freeways of Los Angeles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Blue Heaven (1990)
FBI agent Barney Coopersmith is assigned to protect former Mafia figure turned informant Vincent Antonelli. In the witness protection program one is supposed to keep a low profile, but that is something that Antonelli has trouble doing. Coopersmith certainly has his hands full keeping Antonelli away from the Mafia hitmen who want to stop him testifying, not to mention the nightclubs...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
A petty thief posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who's been training him for his upcoming role...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Hard Way (1991)
Seeking to raise his credibility as an actor and to land a role as a tough cop on a new show, Hollywood action star Nick Lang works a deal with New York City Police Capt. Brix, who by chance is one of his fans. Nick will be paired with detective Lt. John Moss and learn how to act like a real cop. But when Nick drives John crazy with questions and imitating him, he gets in the way of John's pursuit of a serial killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPolice Academy 2: Their First Assignment (1985)
Officer Carey Mahoney and his cohorts have finally graduated from the Police Academy and are about to hit the streets on their first assignment. Question is, are they ready to do battle with a band of graffiti-tagging terrorists? Time will tell, but don't sell short this cheerful band of doltish boys in blue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWho's Harry Crumb? (1989)
Harry Crumb is a bumbling and inept private investigator who is hired to solve the kidnapping of a young heiress which he's not expected to solve because his employer is the mastermind behind the kidnapping.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNational Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
An LA detective is murdered because she has microfilm with the recipe to make cocaine cookies. Two cops partner to find and stop the fiends before they can dope the nation by distributing their wares via the 'Wilderness Girls' cookie drive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFletch (1985)
When investigative reporter Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher goes undercover to write a piece on the drug trade at a local beach, he's approached by wealthy businessman Alan Stanwyk, who offers him $50,000 to murder him. With sarcastic wit and a knack for disguises, Fletch sets out to uncover Stanwyk's story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShow Dogs (2018)
Max, a macho, solitary Rottweiler police dog is ordered to go undercover as a primped show dog in a prestigious Dog Show, along with his human partner, to avert a disaster from happening.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisNaked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)
Frank Drebin is persuaded out of retirement to go undercover in a state prison. There he has to find out what top terrorist, Rocco, has planned for when he escapes. Adding to his problems, Frank's wife, Jane, is desperate for a baby.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Late Show (1977)
An over-the-hill gumshoe in Los Angeles seeks to avenge the killing of an old pal, another detective who was involved in a case concerning a murdered broad, stolen stamps, a nickel-plated handgun, a cheating dolly, and a kidnapped pussycat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBig Momma's House (2000)
When a street-smart FBI agent is sent to Georgia to protect a beautiful single mother and her son from an escaped convict, he is forced to impersonate a crass Southern granny known as Big Momma in order to remain incognito.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisTango & Cash (1989)
Ray Tango and Gabriel Cash are two successful narcotics detectives who can't stand each other. Crime lord Yves Perret, furious at the loss of income they have caused him, plots an elaborate revenge against them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBorn in East L.A. (1987)
Rudy, an American of Hispanic descent, whose south-of-the-border looks show him no mercy during an immigration raid in a migrant worker factory. As his luck goes, he is caught with neither money nor his ID and is deported to Mexico - without speaking a word of Spanish!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisKingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
The story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeverly Hills Cop (1984)
Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisK-9: P.I. (2002)
Dooley and his K-9 partner Jerry Lee are ready to retire from the police force. But before he can retire with his pension he must work as a P.I. to find a set of high tech computer chips.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDown and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
Beverly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman find their lives altered by the arrival of a vagrant who tries to drown himself in their swimming pool.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisReno 911!: Miami (2007)
A rag-tag team of Reno cops are called in to save the day after a terrorist attack disrupts a national police convention in Miami Beach during spring break. Based on the Comedy Central series.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisStick It (2006)
Haley is a naturally gifted athlete but, with her social behavior, the teen seems intent on squandering her abilities. After a final brush with the law, a judge sentences her to an elite gymnastics academy run by a legendary, hard-nosed coach. Once there, Haley's rebellious attitude wins her both friends and enemies.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Lucky Stars (1985)
Two Hong Kong cops are sent to Tokyo to catch an ex-cop who stole a large amount of money in diamonds. After one is captured by the Ninja-gang protecting the rogue cop, the other one gets his old Orphanage gang, dubbed the "Five Lucky Stars," to help him. They don't like this much, but they do it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, Nick Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan. Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative and forced to live up to his own legend, channeling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in order to save himself and his loved ones.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMajor League: Back to the Minors (1998)
At the behest of Roger Dorn -- the Minnesota Twins' silver-tongued new owner -- washed-up minor league hurler Gus Cantrell steps up to the plate to take over as skipper of the club's hapless farm team. But little does he know that Dorn has an ulterior motive to generate publicity with a grudge match between the big leaguers and their ragtag Triple A affiliate.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe tree children from Volo (1957)
In love with the village's belle, a passionate nineteen-year-old suitor from Volos and his two friends kidnap her in broad daylight; however, the police and a ruthless criminal are hot on their trail. Will the young lovers find happiness?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
My New Partner (1984)
A streetwise Paris policeman who takes kickbacks from the minor criminals on his beat to allow them to continue is assigned an idealistic new partner fresh from police academy. He sets out to corrupt him...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKarniggels (1991)
After his training as a policeman, the young, shy Köppe is transferred to a northern German town. Unfortunately, in an area where fox and rabbit say goodnight, there is little for a lawman to do. So Köppe kills time with the search for mysterious cow murderers, flirting with two attractive women and befriending a likeable petty crook.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Miami Supercops (1985)
In 1978, $20 million was stolen from a Detroit bank. One of the robbers was caught, one was found dead, and the third disappeared. The money was never found. Seven years later, the robber who was caught was released from jail. He immediately went to Miami, only to be found dead the next day. Now FBI agents Doug Bennet and Steve Forest have been called in to investigate the case while posing as Miami police officers. Somewhere in Miami the third robber is hiding with his $20 million, and he has a seven-year head start on the authorities.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Special Unit?
The closest matches to Special Unit are Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Police Academy (1984) and Starsky & Hutch (2004). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Special Unit?
Start with Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), the closest match to Special Unit.
What is the highest-rated movie like Special Unit?
Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015), rated 7.6/10 by 18,376 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Special Unit?
Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Special Unit?
Yes: Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F (2024), Police Academy (1984) and Starsky & Hutch (2004).
How are movies similar to Special Unit chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Special Unit, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.